Drawout mechanism



Feb. 22, 1944. H. E. PEARSON DRAW-OUT MECHANISM Filed Oct. 23. 1941 2Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR //6w0z.a E/QWmsv/V BY K290 M ATTORNEY Feb. 22,'1944. H. E. PEARSON 2,342,298

' DRAW-OUT MECHANISM Filed Oct. 23, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Feb.22, 1944 DRAVVOUT MECHANISM Harold E. Pear-son, Bethlehem,Pa.,.assignor, by mesne assignments, to Realty and IndustrialCorporation, Convent, N. J., a corporation of New Jersey.ADDlicationOct-ober23, 1941, seminarians (01. 45-47) ,4 Claims.

This invention is applicable to various uses where a unit :is normallypositioned within a housing and adapted torbe withdrawn therefromforaccess to the unit. The invention is applicable to drawout unitshaving circuit breakers mounted thereon, also to units having various.other devices mounted thereonor carried thereby such asrelays,.instruments,and the like. It is likewise applicable todrawers offiling cabinets .and to variousother devices of the same generalcharacter.

The main objectlof r-the invention is .to provide a simple form ofstructure-generally applicable to various uses and which may beconveniently and economically imanufactured. Another object is to.provide a sturdy structure, which will be durable under longcontinueduse. Other objects and advantages will beunderstood from the followingdescription :and accompanying drawings showing certain embodiments andapplications of the invention.

Fig. 1 is. a sectional view of a housingcontaining a .drawout unit withmy improvement appliedthereto and shown in sideelevation'; Fig. 2

is a similar .view showing -the unit .partly withdrawn; Fig. 3 "is ahorizontal section on the line 3-3 of Fig.' l. showingaportion ofthemechanism at one sideof theunit; Fig. 4 is a frontelevation of thehousing and unit in its inner position; Fig. 5 is a side view partly insection showing the invention applied to a filing cabinet; and Fig. 6 isa, similar view showing the-drawer of the cabinet partly withdrawn. r

.Referringto "Figs. 1 to 4, the-invention is-shown applied to a .drawoutunit of a circuitsbreaker switchboard. iSuchswitchboards-are formed of asteel framework and provided with various compartments side byside andalso-one about the other. .Ineach compartment is housed a movable unitwhich may support one or more circuit breakers, relays, instruments orother electrical devices. Such devices require inspection from time .totime .and occasional repair or replacement of parts. In the v,oaseofcircuit breakers, the units are withdrawnfrom the operating position toan intermediate .test position for checking its performance and also to,a :fully withdrawn position when conditions require it.

In Figs. 1 to ,4 .a portion .of the frame of .a switchboard isshowniormed'ofrsupporting angle irons l andpartitions 2 whichprovide anumber of compartments for receiving the, Various removable units. Themovable unit of one compartment is shown as made of i3, .framework'ofangle irons 3 whichsupports ja panel board 4 on tion "lb extending atright-angles to-each other.

the front of the framework. This panel supports the circuit breaker andcontrolling relays or other apparatus-on its front with variousconnections extending through the panel and removably engaging fixedterminals and connections Kinthe rear of the compartment supported bythemain frame. As such parts are well known and form no-part of thepresentinvention, theyare not particularly shown.

The frame of the movable unitis provided at its top "portion and on eachside with a pairof outwardly extending rollersfi which engage theinterior of channel bars- 6. Thesebars are fixedly supportedbythe'mainframe of the switchboard and serve as supporting guides for the, movableunit as it is moved outwardly or rearwardly in its compartment.

At each side {of the compartment and at its lower front portions is anangularly shaped element '1 having one portion 1a andanother por- Theelement is provided with a slot "lc having portions at right-angles toeach other andextending alongthe length of the angularly relatedportions 1a and 'lb. The element-1 isalso provided with another 'slot 1dextending in a 'di agonal direction at the knee of the element] anddisplaced somewhat from the slot/1c. "As particularly shown in Fig.3,theslot 'ld'is freely engaged by a roller or cross-pin 8 which isretatablymountedbetween a pair of plates 9 spaced apart from each otherand fixedly supported on the lower partition-2 of the main frame. Theelement 1 is rotatableon the pin ii and is also slidable on this pinduring a portion ofthemovement of the unit when moved outwardly orinwardly. A pin it) is fixed to the lower front portionof theframeofthemovable unit at ea-ch side thereof. These pins extend outwardly andform arfixed bearing for'therespective rollers =Il whichengage the slots'lc.

Fig. lshows the-position of the parts when the unit is inzits innermostposition. 'I'he rollers H are then .at theends of their respective slotslo in the portions ia of thetwo elements l. .The pins 8 are then at'theends of their respective slots 1d and the longer legs =1 bare extendingupwardly and the shorter legs la are extending horizontally towards therear of the compartment. A pair of stops l2 are fixed to the main frameat opposite sides of the movable unitand extend inwardly so as to beengaged by projections 13 fixed to the portions lb when the parts areinthe position shown in Fig. 1. At this time themovable unit. is not onlysupported -by=the rollers and the guide rails 6 but also by the rollersH and the elements 1, the stops I2 serving to maintain them rigidly inthe position shown.

When the movable unit, or drawout unit, it moved outwardly from itscompartment by any suitable means, not shown, the unit moves along therails 6 and the rollers ll slide or pass forwardly along the the lowerstraight portion of the slots 10. When the rollers reach the curved bendof the slots 10, they give the elements Ta rotatable movement about thepins 8 and as the rollers ll .pass along the bend of the slots 1c,

the elements 1 not only turn about the pins 8 but also slide along thepins by the provision of the slots lot. This movement results in thelonger legs 1b assuming a horizontal position while the shorter legs laassume a vertical position and the pins 8 are then located in theopposite ends of the slots 1d. This new position of the parts is shownin Fig. 2 and it should be noted that the radius of the curved portionsof the slots 1c is made such as to permit this angular movement of theelements I. At the time of completion of this rotatable movement, thestops I2 are engaged by projections 14 which are fixed to the portions1a and'then serve to support the elements 1 in their new position inconjunction with the pins 8. Supporting blocks l5 may also be providedon the main frame so as to be engaged bythe lower edges of the portionsTb when the parts are in the position shown in Fig. 2. This position mayserve as an intermediate test position for the circuit breaker and othercontrolling devices carried by the panel 4 of the movable unit.This'unlt may readily be moved forwardly from the position shown in Fig.2 during which movement the rollers II will travel along the frontportions of the slots To; and in the outermos't' position of the unitthe rollers II will be positioned at the front ends of the slots therebyserving to support the front portion of the unit while the rear rollers5 will serve to support the rear portion of the unit. The unit is thenreadily accessible for any necessary adjustments or repairs of the partson both the front and back of the panel-4.

When it is desired to return the unit to its normal operating position,the reverse action of the guiding and supporting elements 1 takes place.The rearward movement first causes the rollers H to pass along the slots10 until the curved portions of the slots is reached at which time theelements 1 are turned angularly and the pins 8 then assumea position atthe opposite ends of the slots 1d. The elements 1 then assume theposition shown in Fig. 1 and-the continued movement of the unit willresult in the rollers H assuming a position at the ends of the slots '70at which time the unit is in its innermost position.

It is apparent that the elements '1 and their cooperating parts serve asguides and supports for the movable unit in all positions thereof by asimple form of structure which may be economically manufactured andconveniently assembled. The elements 1 during the rearward movement ofthe unit, are withdrawn within the com-partmentand thereby avoid thenecessity of any outwardly projecting parts when the unit is in itsoperative position. In some cases a cover plate I541 may be secured tothe outer edges of the portions lb of the guiding and supportingelements so that when the unit is in its innermost position the plate[5a will serve as a cover plate for protection of the apparatus carriedby the panel 4. The plate Hat is shown broken away in Figs. 1 to 4 andit may be extended to any amount desired.

In Figs. 5 and 6, the parts corresponding to those already described aresimilarly numbered. Here a filing cabinet unit is indicated having theusual casing I6 forming the compartment in which the drawer I1 isadapted to be closed within the compartment and withdrawn from thecompartment for access to the files or other contents. The front of thedrawer l'la, or movable unit, is shown as having a handle [lb and thedrawer is likewise provided with a rear upwardly extending portion I'Icwhich extends to the top of the compartment. Fig. 5 shows the drawer inthe closed position with the front ofthe drawer resting upon an inturnededge Ilia of the compartment, the position of the other partscorresponding to those already described with reference to Fig. 1. Whenthe drawer is withdrawn, the movement is the same as that alreadydescribed with referenceto' the previously described figures. Fig. 6shows the position of 'the parts after the elements I have been turnedfrom the position shown in Fig. 5 to the position shown in Fig. 6. Inthis position the portions lb of the elements rest upon the inturnededge l6a of the compartment. The drawer may be further withdrawn fromthe position shown in Fig. 6 until the rollers l I reach the front endsof the slots 10 at which time the drawer will be in its fully withdrawnposition for access-to its contents. g When the drawer is moved inwardlythe reverse action takes place.

Various other applications of the invention may be made-as well asvarious modifications for adaptation to particular uses withoutdeparting from the scope of the invention. Instead of providing rollersengaging the slots in the rotatable elements, bearing pins orprojections from the drawout unit may be used to slidablyengage theslots; also instead of providing slots within the rotatableelements,-the rollers. or bearing pins may slidably engage the edges ofthe rotatable elements, the limiting positions being def ned by turnedup edges at the ends of the elements. In other words open sided slotsmay sometimes be utilized and various other changes made to suitparticular requirements.

I claim:

1. The combination of a supporting compartment, a drawout unit, aguiding andsupporting element having a slot, said slot having portionsat an angle to each other, a projection connected to the drawout unitand slidably engaging said slot, said element having a second slot, andan element slidably engaging said second slotand connected with thesupporting compartment.

2. The combination of a'supporting compartment, a drawout unit, aguiding and supporting element having guiding paths at an angle to eachother, means carried by said unit engaging said element along said pathsand .slidable thereon. and connecting means between said element andsaid compartment and supported by said compartment, said connectingmeans comprising a pivotal and slidable connection.

3. The combination of a supporting compartment, a drawout unit, aguiding and supporting element having guiding paths at an angle to eachother and also having an additional guiding path, means supported bysaid compartment and engaging said additional guiding path for rotatablyand slidably supporting said element, and means carried by said unitengaging said element along said paths at an angle to each other andslidable thereon. 1

4. The combination of a supporting compartment, a drawout unit-guidingand supporting elements on opposite sides of said unit respectively andeach having guiding paths at an angle to each other, means carried bysaid unit and engaging said paths of the respective elements andslidable thereon, and connecting means between said elementsrespectively and said compartment and supported by said compartment,said connecting means each comprising a pivotal and slidable connection.

HAROLD E. PEARSON.

